Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : TAVA Technologies (TAVA-NASDAQ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RWS who wrote (8566)	1/7/1998 6:43:00 PM
From: Josef Svejk	Respond to of 31646

Humbly report, another example from someone who knows: Subject: Embedded Systems - Bigger Problem than Legacy Systems From: "Craig Dillon" <ckdillon@worldnet.att.net> Date: 1997/12/31 Message-ID: <68dpcq$eum@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net> Newsgroups: comp.software.year-2000 [More Headers] Few people have talked about the Embedded Systems problem and Y2K. This is unfortunate because it is a much bigger problem. Why is it a bigger problem? Well, consider the following -- 1. Unlike legacy systems, software remediation is often not an option 2. Unlike legacy systems, software associated with an embedded system is often not a standard common language with tools and programmers available to per remediation, or the source is not even available. 3. correction will require capital expenditure, often quite a bit. 4. Affects all companies that make or move product, or deliver a service directly to the consumer (unlike banks or insurance companies). Recently, I was talking to a Director of MIS of a major hospital, and he was very pleased because he had finished his Y2K inventory, and had his remediation plan in place and operating. He was on top the Y2K problem, and was very proud to say so. So, I asked him if his inventory covered the heart monitors in the Critical Care Unit? Did it cover the Blood Lab? Did it cover the MRI machines? Did it cover the hospital PBX? Did it cover all the devices in Surgery? His face turned pale, and he admitted that his inventory only covered the computer software systems of MIS. His inventory did not address the myriad devices and systems that actually deliver service to the client. Unfortunately, in a hospital this can mean life or eath -- don't get sick towards the end of 1999! This problem exists for all the manufacturing companies as well. Patients may not die, but their businesses surely may. If product cannot get produced or shipped, what will happen to the typical manufacturer? Manufacturers rely on their supply chains to deliver raw material efficiently and to take the finished product to the consumer. A small glitch in the supply chain can have a devastating effect on the whole manufacturing process, especially when JIT and VMI situations are involved. Therefore, manufacturers need to not only solve their own Y2K problems, but also assure themselves that their suppliers and distribution channels will be Y2K ready as well. Can they do it? Personally, I am pessimistic. I am pessimistic, not because it cannot be done, but because so few companies realize the exposure they have in their Embedded Systems. Embedded Systems is not just in the PLC's, but is, potentially, in every device that has a computer chip. EVEN IF THERE IS NO DATE FUNCTIONALITY IN THE DEVICE, IF THERE IS A DATE ON THE CHIP, IT CAN FAIL! Even if that date is NOT referenced by the device, the chip can still fail. The solution is to do a complete inventory, and to check it against a database of devices and products whose Y2K status is known. The devices that are unknown, a little research needs to be done. Unfortunately, vendors often do not appreciate the nature of the embedded system problem. They don't realize that it exists at the chip level, not just at the software level. IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR EMBEDDED SYSTEMS, JUST DROP ME A LINE AT ckdillon@att.net or call me at 847-615-9395. I would be glad to help you. I could help your company to develop a complete Year 2000 program! Craig K. Dillon x8.dejanews.com Svejk (GL-15 applies: digiserve.com ;-)